The Star

The Star. Archduke Ferdinand II of Austria and his Summer Palace in Prague

Ivan Prokop Muchka, Ivo Purš, Sylva Dobalová, Jaroslava Hausenblasová

The Star [Hvězda] Renaissance summer palace is one of the symbols of Prague. The authors of the book tried to put the Star into the context of Habsburg “leisure” architecture, but also pan-European context. Among the specific features of the Star that are analysed in detail are the six-pointed star ground plan, the surprisingly monumental character of the building, its seemingly pointless fortress-like character, and the multisemantic yet playful iconography of the white stucco reliefs in the interior, evoking ancient Rome. In the same way, the game preserve surrounding the building (which already in Renaissance had wide avenues intersecting in the form of a star) is interpreted by the authors as an important element helping to create the character of the Hvězda. A key role in its construction was played by the governor in Prague, Archduke Ferdinand II of Austria (1529–1595), who commissioned the building and was its “inventor”. The wealth of stucco decoration motifs is documented by more than seven hundred reproductions made specifically for this book.

First edition, in English, 429 pages, colour illustrations, Praha 2017
ISBN 978-80-88283-08-9